National Constitutions of the World

Many Americans are aware of the rights and freedoms we enjoy in the United States. As middle school social studies students, we are also educated in the foundations for these rights in our Constitution. Created in 1787, this document identifies the jobs, powers and limits of the government, and the freedoms guaranteed to American citizens. The United States Constitution was based on earlier documents and events in world history, and extended many of the principles of government to the new United States.

As a primary source, the U.S. Constitution represents a key document in social studies class. It is also the basis for secondary sources such as textbooks. Entire chapters and sections of texts are devoted to the Constitution, since it is the basis for the conflicts of early U.S. history and our democratic government. Secondary sources often summarize the information in primary sources, and provide conclusions and generalizations that help students better understand and interpret primary sources. In the activities that follow, you will examine passages from constitutions around the world. You will also identify connections between these primary sources and the secondary sources that are based on the constitutions.

Module Objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source.
• Examine the purposes and similarities of constitutions from around the world.
• Analyze the links between constitutions as primary sources and secondary sources written about these constitutions.